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Loose Talk Kills: What’s Worrying about Unity of Method

Cartwright, N.

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Abstract

There is danger in stressing commonalities among methods because the differences matter in fixing the meaning of our claims. Different methods can, and often do, test the same claim. But it takes a strong network of theory and empirical results to ensure that. Failing that, we are likely to fall into inference by pun. We use one set of methods to establish a claim, then draw inferences licensed by a similar-sounding claim that calls for different methods of test. Our inferences fail and bridges we build (or policies we set) depending on them fall down.

Citation

Cartwright, N. (2016). Loose Talk Kills: What’s Worrying about Unity of Method. Philosophy of Science, 83(5), 768-778. https://doi.org/10.1086/687862

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 14, 2015
Online Publication Date Jun 16, 2016
Publication Date Jun 16, 2016
Deposit Date Jun 14, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Philosophy of Science
Print ISSN 0031-8248
Publisher Philosophy of Science Association
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 83
Issue 5
Pages 768-778
DOI https://doi.org/10.1086/687862

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Copyright Statement
© Philosophy of Science 2016





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